GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — They call the drill “27 outs,” and it’s a staple at Cincinnati Reds Spring Training every year. The drill reiterates the importance of throwing to the right base, knowing specific game situations, and making routine plays on defense. Bench coach Freddie Benavides will call out a scenario—one out, seventh inning, on the road, up two runs, runner on second base—and hit a ball into play.
The Reds have defenders at every position, and they have to do the right thing based on the situation. If you make a mistake, Benavides shouts, “Back to zero!” You need to make it to 27 outs in a row to win the drill, which historically hasn’t happened all that often. The Reds got to 27 outs the first time they did this drill in camp this year, which led to a big celebration from guys like Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart.
The Reds know what their biggest weakness was in 2025—they didn’t play clean enough baseball on a consistent basis—and they’re stressing the importance of improving it this year. “When we did things as simple as moving runners over and getting them in, we won,” says catcher Tyler Stephenson. “We should push ourselves to be better, and that will translate into winning a lot more games.”
While a highly-talented rotation battle and the addition of Eugenio Suárez have created a spark in camp, the real focus this spring is on defense and base running. Terry Francona is using drills the Reds haven’t done much of in the past to work on reading the play in specific situations on the bases. Players are practicing taking leads off of bases, watching the ball off the bat, and deciding when to run and when to go back to the base they’re on.
The Reds aren’t going to be the hyper-aggressive base running team they were in 2023 and 2024. They will, however, be more aggressive than they were in 2025 thanks to a higher baseball IQ Francona is seeing develop in Goodyear. “When you’re running and you don’t know where the ball is, you’re relying on a little bit of luck,” he says. “Some guys weren’t taught that when they were young, so it’s a bit of a challenge. We want to do it the best we can.”
Francona has spoken more about base running in conversations with the media this spring than anything else. For the Reds to take the next step, they’ll need to strike the right balance of aggression and intelligence on the bases.
Along with base running, team defense will need to improve significantly this season, as the 2026 Reds will only be as good as their fielders are. “With the pitching that we have, they’ll be nails,” says second baseman Matt McLain. “We have to support them with our defense. If we take that up a couple of notches, we like where we’ll be.”
It’s still too early in Spring Training to know what the Reds can expect from players at relatively new positions. At this time last year, Sal Stewart had never played first base and Noelvi Marte had never played right field. They did enough down the stretch at those positions last year for the Reds to make the playoffs, but there were also mistakes. Stewart and Marte each made key mistakes in the field in the playoff series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Stewart has been a third baseman for most of his life. This winter, Benavides went to Florida to coach him at first base. Stewart took the drills he did with Benavides and worked on them all offseason. He’s fielding the ball pretty well now, but scoops can be a challenge for any new first baseman. Stewart drills them every day.
“I’ve had actual time to train,” he says. “Last year, it was difficult because I didn’t have much experience there. I was trying to do whatever I could for the team to give us the best chance to win. This offseason, I had a chance to go to the drawing board to actually study and learn the principles of first base.”
Marte has been caught drifting on a few plays in spring training, and his routes on fly balls continue to develop. He was a shortstop and a third baseman up until last July. He has more upside in the outfield, and he showed what he’s capable of on his season-saving home run robbery in September. He has great athleticism and a great arm but has to make more routine plays.
In Spring Training, Reds coaches have developed specific drills designed to help Marte improve his first step. “When you have the ability to make fun plays like that, it gives you a different edge,” says outfield coach Collin Cowgill. “It adds to your confidence. Knowing you’re comfortable around the wall. It’s a nice tool to have in your bag. For him, if he can get really good at going back on balls over his head left and right, he’s going to have an opportunity to make a lot of those plays.”
The Reds are also looking for defensive improvement in center field this season. TJ Friedl is the regular center fielder, but he admittedly had a down year defensively last season. He felt like his first step was slow, and a healthy offseason allowed him to work on that. The Reds also added a standout defensive center fielder in Dane Myers, who will push Friedl to left field on some days. Marte will also get a chance in center.
More than anyone else in the field, Elly De La Cruz will need to be better at shortstop after leading the Reds in errors last season. The team chalked up his defensive struggles to the quad injury he was battling. He might not be a Gold Glove winner in 2026, but his playmaking is a trait that the Reds really value at that position. “He’s so long-levered, there are some throws where it’s not as easy as somebody that’s nice and compact,” says Francona. “That’s just the reality of it. But he also gets to some balls that nobody else can. With health, it’s certainly not going to hurt.”
The Reds are definitely going to pitch well this season. With Suárez and a fully-healthy De La Cruz, they’ll hit for more power. The bullpen will be better with new pieces like Pierce Johnson, Brock Burke, and Caleb Ferguson.
After a 2025 season where the Reds’ defense too often got in the way of success, that side of the team needs to rebound in 2026. If the Reds take that step, they’ll be division contenders. If they don’t, we’ll see the same types of frustrating losses they experienced last season.
Charlie Goldsmith has covered the Reds and Bengals since 2020, and his newsletter on the teams can be found at charlieschalkboard.substack.com.
Facebook Comments